Scouting History

Scouting is a worldwide youth development with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, so that they may play constructive roles in society.

Scouting began in 1907 when Robert Baden Powell held the first scouting camp at Brownsea Island. Baden-Powell wrote the principles of Scouting in Scouting for boys (London, 1908), based on his earlier military books. Baden-Powell made a parallel movement for girls with his sister Agnes Baden-Powell.

The movement employs the Scout method, a program of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activities, including camping, hiking, backpacking, craft, watersports and sports. The Scout method is the informal educational system used by Scouting to achieve their goal, which is simply stated by its founder Robert Baden Powell as Scouts to become “healthy, happy, helpful citizens”. Scout Method includes Scout Law and Scout Promise.

Widely recognized movement characteristic is the Scout uniform by intent hiding all differences of social standing in a country and making for equality. But, more important still, it covers differences of country and race and creed, and makes all feel that they are members with one another of the one great brotherhood”. The original uniform, still widely recognized, consisted of a khaki button-up shirt, shorts, and a broad-brimmed campaign hat, Baden-Powell also wore shorts, because he believed that being dressed like a Scout helped to reduce the age-imposed distance between adult and youth. Uniforms are now frequently blue, orange, red or green, and shorts are replaced by long trousers in winter, and in areas where the culture calls for modesty.